#53
“You have one more class later, right?”
Taeseong nodded.
“Contact me after that’s over. Let’s have dinner together too.”
“Why?”
“Just… there’s a restaurant I want to go to for dinner!”
“I sincerely hope that restaurant isn’t the student cafeteria.”
Taeseong answered while stirring his soup. Looking at Taeseong who expressionlessly took a sip of soup, Bonoh said confidently.
“It’s definitely not the student cafeteria, so don’t worry.”
After finishing their meal, Taeseong stopped by the dorm to brush his teeth and went to class again. As soon as Taeseong left, Bonoh moved busily. He had to make all preparations while Joo Taeseong was in class.
He headed straight to the convenience store. Today’s goal was singular: to get Joo Taeseong drunk. Nothing was better than alcohol for probing someone’s true feelings. The problem was that he had never seen Joo Taeseong drunk. To begin with, Joo Taeseong rarely drank, so he didn’t even know what his alcohol tolerance was.
Surely he wasn’t the type who never got drunk no matter how much he drank? If Taeseong got drunk before he did like before, it would be useless. Bonoh picked up two hangover cure drinks and one ion drink. The hangover cures were naturally both for Bonoh himself.
When Bonoh returned to the dorm, he drank one hangover cure first. He carefully threw away the empty bottle in the trash so Taeseong wouldn’t discover it, and kept the other one ready to drink secretly depending on the situation.
As the time for Taeseong to finish class approached, Bonoh opened the cap of the ion drink he had bought. Then he emptied the entire bottle in one go.
“Phew, hah…”
With this, preparations were complete. Now all that remained was to put the plan into action. Just then, a message arrived from Taeseong.
[Room 309 Sunfish: I’m done]
Bonoh quickly sent the restaurant address he had prepared.
[Let’s meet here!]
Bonoh turned off the screen while slowly raising the corners of his mouth. His sinister expression was reflected on the dark screen.
***
Bonoh had arrived at the restaurant first. It was a pork belly restaurant commonly seen near university areas. A place that was cheap and good for drinking, often used for group drinking sessions. Below the menu board on the wall were outdated alcohol posters.
The spot Bonoh had chosen was a round metal table. Though the restaurant didn’t have proper ventilation, it was still early so the interior was comfortable. On the table were already lettuce wraps, peppers, garlic, ssamjang, and other accompaniments. Bonoh was fiddling with his phone when he saw Taeseong open the door and come in, so he waved his hand.
“Joo Taeseong! Over here.”
Taeseong looked around once, then walked to the table where Bonoh was sitting. When Taeseong sat in his chair, Bonoh grinned and said.
“I already ordered.”
“This is what you wanted to eat?”
Bonoh answered while pouring water into a cup.
“Yeah, I was craving pork belly after a long time. It’s awkward to come to places like this alone.”
He placed the cup filled with water in front of Joo Taeseong. Taeseong looked at the water cup suspiciously from all angles. Even sneakily checking the mouth of the water pitcher made it seem like there was something unsanitary about it.
“Hey, this place is pretty clean, you know?”
“I was checking in case Kim Bonoh poisoned it or something.”
Taeseong put the cup to his lips and tilted it slightly to drink water. Even knowing it was a joke, Bonoh felt guilty since he had ulterior motives for bringing Taeseong here.
“Jeez, really…”
Fortunately, at that moment, a staff member approached the table carrying a large tray. On the tray was the food he had pre-ordered. Three servings of pork belly on a large plate were placed next to the grill, with garlic, onions, mushrooms and other items set beside it. Finally, the staff member placed two bottles of soju with red caps next to the meat and moved away from the table.
“It came out already.”
Bonoh pretended to be pleased and picked up the tongs. He pretended to be busy placing pieces of meat on the grill one by one. As soon as he finished putting all the meat on, Bonoh picked up a soju bottle without hesitation. The cheerful sound of the red soju cap opening with a crack could be heard.
“Going to drink?”
“How can you resist soju when eating pork belly?”
Bonoh answered while pouring soju into an empty glass.
“Drink in moderation. Don’t drink yourself to death.”
“Just like a wife…”
Bonoh muttered with pursed lips at Taeseong’s nagging.
“What?”
“Nothing, then if you drink with me so I drink less, that would work. Looks like you found the water suspicious anyway, so this works out.”
Bonoh naturally placed the glass filled with soju in front of Taeseong. He hurriedly filled his own glass with soju too. Just half, precisely the amount that Joo Taeseong wouldn’t notice.
“Come on, cheers.”
Bonoh raised his glass first and looked at Taeseong. However, Taeseong showed no particular reaction and just turned his head away.
“Hey, hurry up and raise your glass, why are you being like this.”
Bonoh spoke as if scolding. Though it sounded playful, there was subtle urgency mixed in. Taeseong sighed quietly and eventually raised his glass. To get drunk quickly, pouring alcohol into an empty stomach was definitely the best method.
The two glasses lightly clinked together in the air above the table with a ‘clink.’ Taeseong’s glass was completely full. It looked like it would overflow before he could even tilt it. Meanwhile, Bonoh’s glass was barely half full.
Before Taeseong could notice the difference, Bonoh quickly tilted his glass. And downed it all at once. His brow furrowed involuntarily at the sharp bite of the soju.
Taeseong only put the glass to his lips, moistened his throat with one sip of soju, then put it down. Seeing this, Bonoh immediately reacted.
“Ah, just wetting your lips isn’t right! You have to drink it all in one shot.”
“Hah… Did some ghost who died from not being able to drink possess you or something.”
Though Taeseong muttered as if he was fed up, he emptied all the remaining soju in his glass. I think I’m being a bit unreasonable right now. Bonoh also knew he was acting like the type of person he hated most at drinking gatherings. But it couldn’t be helped. Today he had to see Joo Taeseong drunk, even if it meant being unreasonable.
While grilling the pork belly, Bonoh diligently filled Taeseong’s glass with soju. Each time he filled Taeseong’s glass completely and his own a little less, then cleverly drank only small amounts. Moving his hands busily while grilling the pork belly to prevent Taeseong from noticing was no easy task.
Oil splattered from the meat on the grill. Bonoh picked up the tongs and cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces. The browning surface gradually looked more appetizing. He picked up several pieces of nicely grilled pork belly and placed them on Taeseong’s plate while saying.
“It’s all cooked. Eat some food too.”
Though he spoke as if taking care of him, his calculation was for him to eat food and drink more alcohol.
“How is it? I grill meat well, don’t I?”
Bonoh added words so Taeseong wouldn’t be suspicious.
“…It’s edible.”
“The pork belly here is delicious. Drink some soju too.”
“Pork belly is pretty much the same everywhere.”
Though Taeseong said this, he steadily ate the meat and drank the alcohol Bonoh gave him. After drinking and eating several more times, they had emptied three bottles of soju. By the time they opened the fourth soju bottle, Bonoh was also getting tipsy. Despite drinking smaller amounts while focusing on Taeseong’s glass, those ‘small amounts’ had accumulated and Bonoh was starting to feel the effects too.
‘Damn… I can’t get drunk first.’
His head seemed to be getting a bit foggy. Bonoh felt his face getting slightly warm and touched his cheek. He couldn’t tell if it was from the heat of the grill or from being drunk.
This is why I tried not to drink as much as possible. But to make Joo Taeseong drink, it couldn’t be helped. If he didn’t raise his glass for a toast, Taeseong obviously wouldn’t empty his glass either.
Bonoh secretly glanced at Taeseong without saying anything. Annoyingly, Joo Taeseong still looked perfectly fine. Despite emptying his glass several times, not a trace of red had risen to his face. Though he had been talking less since earlier, it was hard to consider that as being drunk.
‘Still far to go…’
To avoid getting drunk first himself, he had no choice but to make his opponent get drunk faster. Just as Bonoh was holding the soju bottle to fill Taeseong’s glass, something lightly bumped against his leg and passed by.
“Huh?”
Surprised, he slightly lowered his head and could see Taeseong’s foot tip under the table. It seemed like he had accidentally touched Bonoh’s leg while trying to change position with his legs crossed.
Bonoh raised his head to observe Joo Taeseong. He seemed completely unaware that he had touched Bonoh with his foot, chewing a piece of meat very slowly. Looking again, his posture seemed slightly more relaxed than at first.
His upper body was leaning slightly toward the table, and there was less strength in the hand holding his glass. His expression was close to expressionless, but his gaze had become loose. His eyelids moving as he blinked were also a bit slow.
‘…Huh? Is Joo Taeseong drunk right now?’
Bonoh barely suppressed the corners of his mouth that wanted to rise. Of course. There was no way he wouldn’t be drunk after drinking this much alcohol. Then half of Bonoh’s plan had essentially succeeded.
“Hey, Joo Taeseong.”
Bonoh paused for a beat before speaking.
“You… what do you think about CC? Do you also think it shouldn’t be done?”
Though he pretended to ask casually, his voice trembled slightly at the end. Taeseong, who had been holding his glass, glanced at Bonoh. Taeseong’s eyebrows rose just a little.
“…Why that all of a sudden.”
There was definitely something suspicious in that tone. Bonoh felt a pang for a moment. Could he have noticed I was trying to probe him?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
